A DELIGHTED Damien O’Donovan, a volunteer member of the Bantry Lifeboat crew, led the parade of victorious Irish athletes at the National Aquatic Centre with a gold medal success he immediately attributed to his coach.

TEAM IRELAND’S swimming coach swept an eloquent hand across the glorious spread of the National Aquatic Centre and said: “I’ve been to World Games before, I was in New Haven, in North Carolina and in Connecticut, as basketball coach and I’ve been to Monaco and to Scotland for European Games, but nowhere is there a facility better than this.”

THE memory of Connacht rugby player and all-round sports fanatic Dr Joe Costello will be honoured on Friday when a galaxy of sporting stars gather at Galway Golf Club.